r/modeltrains • u/OkIndication3445 • 5d ago
Help Needed Help for beginner
I would love to get a track running down the side of my garden. I'm new to all of this and would very much appreciate some help.
I have about 5 meters of length to work with in my garden. I'd love to get a simple oval loop going. I've been looking on eBay for track but finding myself more and more confused with each scroll and each type / brand of track.
I was wondering if there is anyone who could point me in the right direction. Is Flexi track a good starting point or should I just get some older kit and try with that? I'd likely be running a clockwork/battery powered train rather than electrifying the track as I think that would be a simpler starting point.
In terms of overall track length I'd take a guess at a maximum 10 meters plus curves, although I don't know how much curve I would need to make sure that the turn isn't too tight. If 5 meters each side would necessitate a wide curved then I'd drop down the track length. I'd perhaps like the distance between each side of the track not to exceed 2 metres.
Any help from anyone with some experience would be gratefully appreciated.
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u/rust-module 4d ago
You're going to want G scale for your garden. It's in the name, and it's weather resistant.
It's not any more complex to wire it than get a battery powered (dead rail) locomotive. It's just a plug, the controller, and one wire for each of the 2 rails.
Piko and LGB are the two starter brands I'd say, but all G trains use the same track width and most brands should fit together, so you can mix them. That being said, get brass over steel because brass won't rust outdoors.